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Consumers 'falling in love' with brands

New research claims one in four Australian consumers feel emotions close to love when considering which brand to buy.

And they'll buy a lot more if they do fall in love with a particular product.

A joint study by the University of Wollongong and Murdoch University in Western Australia delved into the feelings of more than 1,000 consumers, and their emotional attachment to brands of beer, petrol, washing powder and coffee.

Dr Steve Bellman, deputy director of the Audience Labs research centre which conducted the study, said emotional branding was becoming a global norm amongst producers and advertisers, with McDonald's and Kodak just two corporations attempting to hook consumers by the heart.

And the study revealed if the emotional attachment to the brand is achieved, it can have a huge benefit for the brand involved.

"Our study shows that when companies tap into consumer's deeper feelings, the payoffs can be substantial," Dr Bellman said.

The research found full-strength emotional attachment occurred in about 25 per cent of buyers - less in the case of utilitarian products like petrol and laundry detergent.

Research results showed men who felt 'love' for their beer of choice would buy nearly 40 per cent more than the average consumer, while women bonded with washing powder might buy up to 60 per cent more than average.

And emotional branding is just as effective among men as among women.

"Our findings on utilitarian products were surprising, as we don't usually associate petrol and laundry detergent with emotions like companionship and love," Dr Bellman said.